Archive for August, 2013

Two cases of Greek government “craziness”: one tragic and one ridiculous

the Amigdaleza terrorists on their way to court

The right wing partners and the so-called socialists of PASOK who make up today’s Greek government are ardent admirers of “tradition” so they follow it to a tee but in their own way: Greek priests, when they want to eat meat during the fast they “christen” it fish and are allowed to eat it!! Mr. Dendias christened his immigration policy “Xenios Zeus” (hospitable Zeus in a loose translation) and feels now free to stow double the number of immigrants allowed into “hospitality camps” – a new name for concentration camps by godfather Mr. Dendias. The fact that the majority of The fact that the conditions of “hospitality” are abhorrent is not important. The fact that the electricity was turned off during the hottest night of the year is not crucial. The fact that it was announced to these “tourists” that they will be “kept” (detained) for an extra 6 months in these lovely surroundings is not that serious. The Greek police and government are furious with the immigrants for rioting in Amygdaleza camp. What do they expect? The fact that the European Union is pouring money into these “camps” is not important either… 27 of the over 1000 immigrants detained are being prosecuted for disrupting peace and labeled as “dangerous criminals” in news reports. Why they are not in prison then, is the reasonable question… We are being hospitable…

Santorini, one of the most popular Cycladic islands, is without electricity for the third day today!! Ms. Kefalogianni, Tourism minister, is going to the island to find out what is happening since DEH, the state electricity supplier, cannot solve the problem. Keep in mind that tourism is the country’s heavy industry…

Ten years ago, more or less, I had the opportunity to watch the first of the trilogy directed by Alinda Demetriou and dedicated to the women of the Greek World War 2 Resistance movement.

Till then I had always wondered what had happened to these women. We all knew they existed, from photographs and biographies signed by their male co-warriors, but the women remained nameless, practically non-existent. And then came Alinda. A documentary director who had worked for the state TV for many years Alinda decided to give up her job, take one camera, organize a group of volunteers and tape the stories of the women resistance veterans. Wonderful stories, full of humor, passion, sensitivity, humble bravery, patience and a thirst of life. Somehow, all these women seemed so very young! Alinda’s no frills approach helped depict their personalities, their motives then and today, their attitude to life, their humanity.

Ms Demetriou went on to direct “Life on the rocks” for the women in the Democratic army during the civil war and their lives in exile. Her criteria for choosing the particular women, in the creator’s words from an interview to Avgi newspaper : “What makes them special is their ethos, their dignity, their endurance and stubbornness”. “The rain girls” was to be her swan song. Alinda Demetriou died right in the middle of the Greek summer. She was 80 years young…